The Latest: AP source says McCabe kept notes on Trump

March 18, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the dismissal of Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

The Associated Press has learned that the recently fired FBI deputy director kept personal memos detailing interactions with President Donald Trump. And they have been provided to the special counsel’s office.

The memos kept by former FBI official Andrew McCabe are similar to the notes compiled by dismissed FBI chief James Comey. They could factor into the special counsel’s investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia.

The AP learned of McCabe’s notes from a person with direct knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to discuss the notes publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Earlier Saturday, Trump called McCabe’s firing by Attorney General Jeff Sessions “a great day for Democracy.”

In response, former CIA Director John Brennan accused Trump of “venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption.”

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4:20 p.m.

The onetime FBI deputy director long scorned by President Donald Trump and just fired by the attorney general kept personal memos describing interactions with the president that are similar to the notes compiled by dismissed FBI chief James Comey.

The Associated Press learned of the notes by Andrew McCabe from a person with direct knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to discuss the notes publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Earlier Saturday, Trump called McCabe’s firing by Attorney General Jeff Sessions “a great day for Democracy” and asserted without elaboration that McCabe knew “all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels off the FBI!”

In response, former CIA Director John Brennan lambasted Trump on Twitter, accusing the president of “venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption.”

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3 p.m.

Former CIA Director John Brennan is accusing President Donald Trump of “venality, moral turpitude and political corruption” for rejoicing over the firing of the FBI’s deputy director.

Brennan responded Saturday to a tweet Trump sent hours after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he had fired Andrew McCabe. Trump has repeatedly accused McCabe of dishonesty.

Brennan tweeted to Trump: “When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America...America will triumph over you.”

Brennan was CIA director during President Barack Obama’s second term.

Trump called McCabe’s firing a “great day” for FBI rank and file and democracy.

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2:20 p.m.

Fired FBI Director James Comey is telling President Donald Trump that the American people will soon get to decide who is honorable and who is not.

Comey tweets Saturday: “Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not.”

Comey has a book scheduled for release in April called “A Higher Loyalty.”

Trump fired Comey last May, citing the FBI investigation into possible collusion between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia. Comey then revealed his unease over a series of conversations he had with Trump before his dismissal.

President Donald Trump says “the Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired.”

Trump is referring to Andrew McCabe, the FBI deputy director fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions late Friday.

The president tweets Saturday: “How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wife’s campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation? How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more!”

As a candidate for state office, McCabe’s wife accepted a campaign contribution from the political action committee of then-Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat. McAuliffe is a longtime friend of Democrat Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in 2016.

Trump fired James Comey as FBI director last May, citing the Russia investigation.

McCabe says Sessions fired him as part of the Trump administration’s “war on the FBI.”

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1:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump says many people are finding out about “tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels” of the FBI and the Justice and State Departments.

He provided no details in his tweet Saturday.

But his tweet comes a day after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he had fired FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe following a recommendation from FBI disciplinary officials.

McCabe has long been a target of Trump’s anger. His dismissal precedes the release of an inspector general report that’s expected to conclude that McCabe was not forthcoming about matters related to the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails.

In Saturday’s tweet, Trump also repeated that there had been no collusion between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. That matter is under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

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12:55 p.m.

Andrew McCabe — the former FBI deputy director just fired by the attorney general — kept personal memos regarding President Donald Trump.

That’s according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to discuss the memos publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

This person says the memos are similar to the ones maintained by former FBI Director James Comey, who Trump fired last May.

Comey’s series of notes detailed interactions with Trump that Comey said unnerved him.

The person with knowledge of McCabe’s situation says McCabe’s memos include details of interactions with the president, among other topics.

It’s not immediately clear whether any of the McCabe memos have been turned over to special counsel Robert Mueller or requested by Mueller.

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1:25 a.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he has fired former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, a regular target of President Donald Trump’s anger and criticism, just two days before his scheduled retirement date.

McCabe immediately decried the move and suggested it was part of the Trump administration’s “war on the FBI.”

The Friday dismissal was made on the recommendation of FBI disciplinary officials and comes ahead of an inspector general report expected to conclude that McCabe had authorized the release of information to the news media and had not been forthcoming with the watchdog office as it examined the bureau’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.